"I would expect that she would be confirmed with pretty good numbers," he told reporters.

Martinez stopped short of endorsing her nomination, saying he wants to wait until after her confirmation hearings are held. But he had very positive things to say about her personal and judicial background, and said she would "fit in" very well on the Supreme Court.

Martinez, the only Hispanic Republican in the Senate, said he is not concerned about Sotomayor's controversial "wise Latina" comments because he said there is no evidence that sentiment has influenced her judicial decisions.

"For someone who is of Latin background, personally, I understand what she is trying to say. Which is, the richness of her experience forms who she is. It forms who I am," Martinez said.

soundoff(68 Responses)

I wonder if she chose a wise latina doctor to look at her broken ankle?

I would imagine that a wise latina doctor with her rich experiences in broken latina ankles would reach a better diagnosis than the typical old white male doctor on staff.

Yep, racism sounds equally as ugly when I say it, too.

June 9, 2009 12:56 pm at 12:56 pm |

B.H.

She will be confirmed, and is the right person at the right time.

June 9, 2009 12:56 pm at 12:56 pm |

Alfred E. Neumann

Wow, what a bold prediction.

She could show up in a hooded white robe and still be confirmed.

Boy, Mel Martinez is really going out on a limb with this prediction.

Mel, care to predict the 2009 winner of the Kentucky Derby?

June 9, 2009 12:57 pm at 12:57 pm |

Pat F

Translation: The fix is in, all bribes have been paid and all deals have been sealed.

When she turns out to be as dumb as Alberto Gonzalez, don't come crying to us, Democrats.

June 9, 2009 12:59 pm at 12:59 pm |

Tom I.

A voice of reason from within the Republican Party!?!

It is SO refreshing to hear one.

Particularly the comment about how there is nothing in her judicial decisions that indicate any racial bias. EXACTLY! That is the point! Instead of screaming about one sentence that was uttered several years ago, Martinez examined her actual record.

If he is correct about her being easily confirmed, we might actually have an example of bipartisanship. What a great thing that would be.

June 9, 2009 01:02 pm at 1:02 pm |

Terry from Texas

Here's what no one is saying.
Conservatives are afraid that Sotomayor will support regulations and constraints on corporate behavior. They are afraid their magnificent incomes might become merely fabulous.

Fundamentalists are afraid that she will be pro-choice (pro-abortion as they say).

She probably will be a leftish judge, which is why I support her. We need more Liberals in all levels of government. We need to eliminate Conservatism root and branch. It has damaged the country too much.

June 9, 2009 01:04 pm at 1:04 pm |

Sniffit

"A voice of reason from within the Republican Party!?!"

Yeah, and it's pretty funny that between this guy and Crist, the GOPers who seem to be edging towards rational thought are coming out of FL of all places.

June 9, 2009 01:06 pm at 1:06 pm |

GOP

Take a very good look at her because that is the new face of Racists!

People can talk about this until they are blue in the face but the facts are she said it.

The words came out of her own mouth and no matter how hard you try to spin it you cannot get around that it was indeed a racist remark.

Only liberals believe they have the right to say racist words and get away with it. Maybe that is because most liberals don’t want to hear the truth about their own kind.

June 9, 2009 01:07 pm at 1:07 pm |

anna

YOU HATERS NEED TO LISTEN TO HER WHOLE SPEECH INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO JUST A FEW WORDS.....

IT'S ALRIGHT THOUGH THAT THE HATE FILLED REPUBS CAN TRASH OBAMA....ISN'T THAT RACIST TOO?

June 9, 2009 01:08 pm at 1:08 pm |

Terry from Texas

I forgot to mention: all of you Conservatives who have suddenly discovered racism (in one Puerto Rican woman) and are shocked and horrified...

If eliminating racism is such a passion for you, you can find plenty of it in southern states, around Native American reservations, along the US-Mexico border, in corporate hiring practices, in your town, in your schools, and plenty of other places. I know that stopping racism is so important to all Conservatives, so I just thought I'd suggest that you might look around your town and deal with it there.

June 9, 2009 01:08 pm at 1:08 pm |

Walk With Honor

It is AMAZING how "liberal" a ranting, raving Republican can be when they can personally "identify" with a defining characteristic of of Democratic policy or iniative.

In this case, Martinez is a Latino .... he can find understanding in his heart and head for a Latino woman despite the diatribes from Gingrich and others.

In the case of acceptance of Gays and gay marriage .... Darth Vader .... err, I mean Dick Cheney, can find understanding in his heart and head for Homosexuals despite diatribes from the Christian right because his child is gay.

If only these "conservatives" where not such flaming hypocrits ... maybe I could get behind them. Unfortunately, they typically lack PRINCIPLES that align with reality until their own selfish interests come into play.

June 9, 2009 01:10 pm at 1:10 pm |

John

American Judiciary is full of Jews.

If you have a Jewish Lawyer, in front of a Jewish Judge, you win.

We need diversity for better Justice.

June 9, 2009 01:10 pm at 1:10 pm |

Operation Crush Rush

She will easily get in and crush the hopes of the roe vs. wade tools.Forward crushers,we will crush the rightwing,one bug at a time,like beetles on the American rose.

June 9, 2009 01:11 pm at 1:11 pm |

Liberal4Obama

Not only will she be confirmed but every republican who votes against her will loose his senate seat next time around. Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in America and they will make those senators pay with their vote for dissing one of their own. Lots are already mad that the RNC treated her this bad, calling her racist and incompetent just because she also happens to be a woman.

VIVA SONIA SOTOMAYOR !!!

June 9, 2009 01:12 pm at 1:12 pm |

Bob

She will be easily be confirmed. She is a woman and she is Hispanic, who will dare vote against her? She may be competent, she may not be. I don't think anyone really cares. The liberals can rejoice in another "first" and the conservatives will have gained a new enemy to hate. Everybody wins!!!

June 9, 2009 01:12 pm at 1:12 pm |

Gregory Perrone

B.H. - How is it that she is the right persone, at the right time?

June 9, 2009 01:14 pm at 1:14 pm |

GOP

It is so funny how every liberal democrat in this forum believes if a Republican agrees with their views then that person is a voice of reason in the Republican Party.

So if any one wants to be seen as a voice of reason then one must agree with your enemy in order for them to believe you are a better person then those who do not agree with their whacked out crazy ignorant views of how this country should be ran.

I am so proud not to be a voice of reason to these whacked out crazy ignorant Democrat Liberals.

June 9, 2009 01:16 pm at 1:16 pm |

Ed, Santa Fe, NM

of course she'll be confirmed.... why would she NOT?

GOP should just shut the hell up

June 9, 2009 01:16 pm at 1:16 pm |

Helene

Judge Sotomayor is not racist. Those of you who insult her are just suffering from reverse racism. The worst kind.

June 9, 2009 01:18 pm at 1:18 pm |

PFFT

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

June 9, 2009 01:19 pm at 1:19 pm |

GOP

So to the person who said we should listen to all her words and not just parts of it? “I say well a good many parts make a whole does it not“?

When you view all her words these parts stand out as whom she is and what she believes.

To not take them into account then you want to close your eyes to the truth. But I don’t need to point out about you Liberals wanting to hide from the truth since you been doing that since Obama got elected.

June 9, 2009 01:21 pm at 1:21 pm |

What You Talkin Bout, Willis?

I guess a wise Latino man like Martinez knows better than the white men in the Senate.

June 9, 2009 01:25 pm at 1:25 pm |

Rizz

With Democratic control that is a heck of a prediction. Do something productive Martinez like being fiscally responsible and getting some non softball questions ready for Sotomayor's confirmation hearings.

June 9, 2009 01:25 pm at 1:25 pm |

seebofubar

Look, weather she's a racist or not is more of an opinion than fact. The fact is that 60% of her rulings have been overturned. Is that the kind of person we want on the Supreme Court? Absolutly not. I think that some pepole want her on the court because she is latino. That my friends is racism.

Hey Anna,
I believe it would be racism if we treated Obama differently because of his skin color not because of his horrid policies. If we didn't voice opinions about Obama because of his skin color, that would be racism. I did read her whole speach and even read in context it is an inappropriate remark for a judge.

June 9, 2009 01:25 pm at 1:25 pm |

MatthewDetroit

She is a bad judge with bad arguments and writings.
She does not follow the law and does not believe in the US Constitution.
It is a grave day in history that a person with such malice towards the United States of America, its Constitution, and its Bill of Rights would be put into such a seat of Power.
Barack chose someone who does not believe in the law as he does not believe. He will change law with her and force precedent. America will lose her freedoms, her liberty, and her rights.